Method and apparatus for concentrating oxidized ores by sulfidation and flotation



J. M. CALLOW, J. W. THOMPSON AND J. T. TERRY, JR. METHOD.AND APPARATUSJ'FOR CON'CENTRATING OXIDJZED ORES BY SULFJD APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1916.

ATION AND FLOTATION.

Patented Mar. 1920.

v UNITED STAESPAQENT Wm JOHN M. CALLO'W, or

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH,,J "W. THOMPSON, 0F SfiPERIOZEt, ARIZONA, AND JOSEPH T. TERRY, 31B

OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, ASSIGNOIELS T0 TLHE METALS REUOVEFBX CQMEANY, 01? NEW YORK, N. '31., A COBPOZRA'JJION 013 MAINE.

me e AND APPARATUS non oononnrrnarnie 0x11012131) ones BY sutrxnnrlon awn a E FLO'IATIGN;

- Application filed November 16,1916. ,SeriaYN iii 161,683f1v To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat We, JOHN M. CALLOW, a subject of Great Britain, residing at Salt Lake City, county of Salt Lake, State of Utah, Jenn W'. THOMPSON, a citizen ofthe United States, county, State of Arizona, and dosnrn T TERRY, Jrl, residing at Salt Lake City, county of Salt Lake, State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods and Apparatus for Concentrating Oxidized Ores by-Sulfidation and Flotation, and We do hereby declare the following to bee full, clear, andexact (lSOl'iptlOll of theinvention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a novel method. and apparatus for effecting the concentration oi oxidized ores, such as oxid, carbonate andeilieate ores, etc. I

It has been heretofore proposed to eiiect the concentration of oxidized ores bylcoir.

verting the' oxidized constituents superficially into sulfide, and by thereafter etiect-j ing the flotation of the sulfidized ore. Such prior proposals, in' so far as we are aware, have involved a preliminary sulfidation treatment and a subsequent treatment of thesulfidlzed ore in a manner similar to that which is used in the treatment of natural suliid ores; that is to say, the preliminary sulfidized ore has; thereafter been mixed with oil, eresol, phenol, or other frothing agent, and subjected to an aeration and flotation treatment.

We have found that the flotation of oxidized ores, and in particular oxidized ores that are sulfidized by means of a soluble sulfid such as hydrogen sulfid, can be 'proalthough ore pulp which meted by combining with the suliidationpf the pulp an intimate intermixture therewith of the oil or other frothing agent necessary"- forthe subsequent froth tormzttion. This combined sulfidizing and frothingagent treatment can With advantage ,be further combined with a grinding operation for reducing theore pulp to the re uired fineness; as previously been reduced to the required degree of fineness can out re-grinding the orepulp.

residing at Superior, Pine/1,

a citizen of the Unitedfiltates,

pump 10 or its be subjected to the combined su1- fidizing and frothing'agent tr ilhe invention will be described more iii drawing, showing an apparatusillustrative of the invention and adapted for the practice of the process of the invention.

other frothing-agent in regulated amount enters through the pipe 4: from the supply tank 5; and thesulfidizing agent, which may Specification of Lettersfaten't. Pateilted luau. 23, 19240.

atnient with: i

detail in connectioiifiwith the accompanying,

be hydrogen sulfid or a solution of hydrogen j sulfid or other soluble sulfid, enters in regulatedamount through the'pipe 6 from the generator or storage tank 7. The arranger ment'illuetrated' is adapted for the use of solutions of the sulfidizing agent, which on ter the feed box and pass therefrom with the ore pulp and the oil or other frothingagent into the ballmi1l 3,,in which an inti:

mate ihtermixture takes place and in which the combined eulfidizing and nothing-agent treatment goes on at the same time that the particlesof the ore pulp are being further" reduced in size. i I

The pulp thus treated is then discharged through, the pipe 8 into the feed box 9 of a f a mechanical mixer, such as a centrifugal equivalent, which discharges m through the pipe 11 into a lilre'eentrifugal pump or mixing device 12. A supply pipe 13 provided leadingtroina sulfidizing agent reservoir or generator 14 to a point a intermediate the pumps 10 and 1 2 or'to the inlet side of the mixing device 12, forthe introduction of further amounts of sulfidizond sulfidizing operation, which maybe omitted when unnecessary. Fromthe pinup or mixing device 12, the mixture passes through the pipe 15in the blowin cell 16, and. thence to the flotationeell 17, s own asi lien, can be varied in accordance with. the ore' being treated. So also, the introduetion'of the sulfidizing agent Inaytakerplace in a single operation, or

eiim neare 1 ing agent, should this be necessary or desire, i able. Arrangement' 15 thus made for aseca further sulfidation. the ore pulp and sulfidizing agent are intimately intermixed therein, and the sultidizing ore 15 then discharged to the blowing and flotation cells. The blowing cell 16 is adapted to subject the ore pulp to a blowing operation for removing therefrom any excess hydrogen sulfid or other volatile and re movable gaseous constituents prejudicial to the flotation treatment. In the flotation cell 17 (which may be, for instance, of the wellhllUWIl (allow type) the ore pulp is subjectcd to aeration and flotation by forcing air in a finely-divided form through the porous bottom of the cell.

It will be noted that the ore pulp may thus be subjected, in a single operation, to a combined sultidizing and froth'ing-agcnt treatment, before the flotationtakes place. ho also, where a grinding of the ore pulp takes place at the same time as the. combined sulfidizing and frothing-agent treatment, this threefold procedure may likewise be included in a single operation which results in a sulfidized and oiled upulp of the required fineness for the subsequent flotation operation. 4

It will be evident that other types of paratus are available for effecting the com bined 'sulfidizing and frothing-agent treatment or the combined sulfidizing, frothingagent treatment, and grinding of the ore pulp, as well as for effecting the flotation of the pulp thus treated.

We claim:

1, The method ofcfl'ecting the concentration of oxidized ores by flotation, which comprises subjecting the ore pulp to a coinment for effecting the sulfidizing of the oxidize'd constituents and the simultaneous inlermixture of the frothing-agcnt therewith, and thereafter subjccting the pulp thus treated to a froth flotation operation: substantially as described.

L The method of effecting the concentration of oxidized ores by flotation. which comprises subjecting the ore pulp to a comhined sulfidizing. f'rothing-agcnt treatment and grimling operation, for effecting the simultaneous grinding and sultidizing ot' the ore pulp and intermixing of the frothingagent therewith, and subjecting the pulp thus treated to a flotation operation: substantially as described.

3. The method of effecting the concentration of oxidized ores by flotation. which comprises subjecting the ore pulp to a combined sulfidizing and frothing-agent treatment for effecting the sultidizing ot' the oxidized constituents and the simultaneous intermixture of the frothjng-agent therewith. subjecting the pulp thus treated to a further of a fresh supply of a soluble thus treated to sulfidizing treatment, and to a flotation operation; substantially as described.

4. The method of effecting the concentration of oxidized ores by flotation, which comprises subjecting the ore pulp to a grinding operation in the presence of a soluble sulfid and a trothing-agent for effecting the sulfidizing of the oxidized constituents of the ore and the simultaneous intermixture of the frothing-agent therewith, and sub- 7 jecting the pulp thus treated to a flotation operation; substantially as described.

5. The method of effecting the concentration of oxidized ores by flotation, which comprises subjecting the ore pulp to a grinding operation in the presence of a soluble sultid. and a frothing-agent for effecting the sulfidizing ofthe oxidized constituents of the ore and the simultaneous intermixture of the frothing-agent therewith, subjecting 5 the thus sultidized and frothed ore pulp to a further sulfidizing treatment in the presence sulfid, and subjecting the pulp thus treated toa flotation operation; substantially as described.

6. The method of effecting the concentration of oxidized ores by flotation, which comprises subjecting the ore pulp to a combined sulfidizing treatment and grinding operation in the presence of oil for effecting 95 the sulfidizing of the oxidized constituents of the ore and the simultaneous intermixtpre of the oil therewith, and subjecting the pulp a flotation operation; substantially as described.

7 The method of e'fl'eeting the concentration of oxidized ores by flotation, which comprises subjecting the ore pulp to a sulfidizing treatment in the presence of oil for effecting the sulfidizing of the oxidized con- .stituents of the ore and the simultaneous intcrmixture therewith of the oil, and subjecting the pulp. thus treated to a subsequent froth flotationoperation: substantially as described.

8. An apparatus for effecting the concentration of oxidized ores by flotation, comprising a mixing device, means for simultaneously introducing into said mixing device the ore to be treated and a regulated amount of a sulfidizingagent and a regulated amount of a frothing agent. additional and independentmeans for subjecting the or. pulp to a further sulfidizing treatment after its discharge from said mixing device, and independent means for subjecting the ore pulp thus treated to a flotation operation; substantially as described.

An apparatus for effecting the concen tration of oxidized ores by flotation. comprising means for grinding the ore pulp, means for independently introducing into the grinding means a regulated amount of a sulfidizing agent and a regulated amount of a frothing-agcnt whereby the ore pulp is 130 subjected to a combined sulfidizing, and frothing-agent treatment during thegrinding, and means for subjecting the pulp thus 4 treated to a flotation operation; substantiallyas described.

10'. An apparatus for'eflecting the coneentrationof oxidized ores by flotation, COIII- prisingmeahs for grinding the ore pulp,

meana foi: independently introducing into agent whereby the ore pulp is 'subjected to -a combinedsulfidizing and frothifng-agent treatment during the grinding, a mixing device, means, for forcing the ore pulp after its treatment in the grinding means under pressure into said mixing device, means for in trodueing a sul'fidizing agent into said mix ing device whereby the ore pulp is subject ed to a further sulfidizing treatment, and means for subjecting "the pulp thus treated to a flotation operation; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signaturee.

JOHN M. GALLOW. JOHN 1V. THOMPSON. JOSEPH T. TERRY, Ju. 

